Basement Organization (Featured Project)

The Systems by Susie team recently tackled a huge basement organization project. For this family, the unfinished space was being used for many different purposes, but none of them were defined. The team worked to create functional systems for storage, an exercise area, and even room for the kids to play this winter! 

 

 

 

Basement Organization Step One: Sort

During this two-day job, we worked closely with the home owner to sort through everything in the space, determining which items should be tossed, donated, and kept. For the items that the family wanted to keep, we used bins to group like things. Temporary painter’s tape labels help you sort (everyone knows what goes where) and make permanent labels easy to place when you’re ready.

 

 

Basement Organization Step Two: Create Zones

Instead of having items stored all over the basement, the team built shelving systems to keep the bins in one area. This freed up space for furniture storage and a play area.

 

 

It also left larger areas of the basement floor space empty for larger toys, like a trampoline, a gymnastics bar, and a toddler roller coaster. Aren’t these kids going to have the best winter?!

These before and after photos are amazing! You can really see that everything has a space now. Notice how area rugs define both the play and exercise spaces. These area a great option to warm up an unfinished basement. 

 

 

Basement Organization Step Three: Label all the Things

One of the major needs for this family was organizing kids’ clothing that needed to be passed down to younger siblings. We created a shelving system just for this purpose. The clothing was categorized by gender and size, separated into bins, and labeled clearly on the front. We recommended keeping bins for clothing that is too small in each kiddo’s closet. When the bin is full, the clothes can be cleaned and stored in the appropriate container in the basement. So easy! 

 

 

Labels are important for allowing systems like this one to remain in place. They keep everyone in the family on the same page, so no matter who is putting something away or getting something out, they know where to find it or where it goes. Using a label pocket (linked below) allows you to swap out labels easily when contents change. 

 

Our Favorite Products

The stars of this project were the bins and shelving units. We were able to reuse many of the homeowner’s bins, but also brought some of our favorites. Notice that the shelving racks are on wheels, which allows for easy reshuffling. This will be so helpful since our clients plan to renovate soon and finish their basement.

As much as possible, we like to use clear bins to allow you to easily see what’s inside. If you opt to use bins of all the same color for a streamlined look, be sure to label the outside clearly. Do what works best for your family and fits your style. 

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The products linked above are very similar to the ones that worked in this space. I’ve also put together some options in my Amazon Storefront. 

If you are interested in hiring our team to help you get your basement organization project tackled, you can read about the process and our services here. 

Happy Organizing!

 

Susie